POST BY RICH: HAVE A NICE DAY

“Have a nice day.” How often to you hear those words? Once a day? Several times a day? Do those who utter the words really mean them?

I tell you that every time I hear them, I want to puke! For me, who suffers from mental health problems, I rarely “have a nice day.” Truthfully, I cannot remember the last time I had a “nice day.” Every day sucks!

Where did the phrase, “have a nice day” come from?

I found my information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

“Have a nice day is a commonly spoken valediction, typically uttered by service employees to customers at the end of a transaction, particularly in Israel and the United States. Its repetitious and dutifully polite usage has resulted in the phrase developing a cultural connotation among some listeners as representing impersonality, lack of interest, passive–aggressive behavior, or sarcasm. The phrase is generally not used in Europe. Many European commentators have stated that it seems artificial or even offensive. Critics of the phrase characterize it as an imperative, obligating the listener to have a nice day. Other critics argue that it is a parting platitude and a trite space-filler used to prevent embarrassing silences. While defenders of the phrase agree that “have a nice day” is usually insincere, some consider the phrase to be comforting, in that it improves interactions among people. Others favor the phrase because it does not require a response.

A variant of the phrase—”have a good day”—is first recorded in Layamon’s Brut (c. 1205) and King Horn. “Have a nice day” itself first appeared in the 1948 film A Letter to Three Wives. The phrase was subsequently popularized by truck drivers talking on CB radios. Variations on the phrase include “have a good one” and “have a nice one”. In conjunction with the smiley face, the phrase became a defining cultural emblem of the 1970s and was a key theme in the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho. By 2000, “have a nice day” and “have a good day” were taken metaphorically, synonymous with the parting phrase ‘goodbye’.”

“Its repetitious and dutifully polite usage has resulted in the phrase developing a cultural connotation among some listeners as representing impersonality, lack of interest, passive–aggressive behavior, or sarcasm.” Other “critics argue that it is a parting platitude and a trite space-filler used to prevent embarrassing silences.”

That’s my point. In other words, I take it as a “parting platitude and a trite space-filler used to prevent embarrassing silences.” Another word to describe this is, “phony,” as it does not necessilary come from the person saying it as being sincere.

Hence, part of my point is that it is baloney. The other point I want to make is that, I, personally, don’t have a “nice day.” Every one of my days is filled with depression, anxiety, anger, sensory overload, being overwhelmed and/or a combination of all of them. Patty says the last time I had a “nice day,” was the day before her birthday. That was in January! Let’s see: I guess that’s not so bad; one “nice day” in approximately six months!

Am I jealous of those who have “nice days?” Hell, yes! Do I envy those who have “nice days?’ Hell, yes! Am I feeling sorry for myself? Hell, yes!

I am sick and tired of having people say those words to me. I want to respond by telling them to take their words and shove them where the sun never shines!

What do I say when I’m in a position where that stupid phrase is presented to me? “See ya later.” Or, what do I say when I’m in a position where it is normally said? “Hello.”

I hope, for you out there who suffer from depression or any/all of the feelings I stated above, that you have the experience of having a “nice day.”

I would love to have “a” nice day even once a week! But, it doesn’t happen!